Method of packaging lumped commodities



April 4, 1950 A. F. oT'nNGER 2,502,586

METHOD 0F PACKAGING LUMPED COMMODITIES Filed June 15, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 1 Fles. 5

April 4, 1950 A. F. oTTlNGl-:R 2,502,536

METHOD oF PACKAGING LUMPED coMMoDITIEs Filed June l5, 1944 2`She ets-Sheet 2 HHNHH l! U lll!! T Patented ph 4, 1956 l l n v LUMPED 1 claim.A (c1. v22a-H51.)

n 1` v v www.' -n .H SDG ding" parts throughout theeveal, views. Rf. th? drawings.. Y, u

At prs'ent' boxeslfaiidfcrat `rare' ordinarilyA n l :packaging fgprbdujce for shipment" i 5 are"intendd"to protect the producevghile'allo ventilation and drainage* Byvmeans.'jiwtlriheu e; nit/entonsirnilar brit better protec'ztioi 5A dat .smaller costfandwiti other,finaM A that'are noreavlailablexthanftiie o 'Winch the crates andA basketsv "are 'coiflp'cs'ed,4` andi whici 't No; 408,853; ven-in draw cords wm o awing in Whibniar .y o' variogs possitiiehembodi;

.th, Y n diameter 4y ample]v spiral' lapp "g a's` ,indicated'ftf' l, T1115 50 operation facilitatd'by the 'crrugatrisl' Thisf' spirauy wnugidvjafdldpardis ne'iinser afinto remaining fpjn 'e dl istlab n asshown in'fFig. 4"Wh1`th lin'e'r al'lowd 'to' Similar reference characters indicate corre- 55 expand to the maximum diameter which will be 3 permitted by the size of the fabric tube. Under these conditions there should be some remaining lap atthe edges of the liner. At this time, as indicated in Fig. 4, filling of the package may be started.

After the lined tube has been filled, the upper flaps 2l are turned inward and the open end of the fabric tube is drawn shut by means of the draw string 1. This forms a second closure 25. The result is a. package in which the longitudinally corrugated liner maintains a general cylindric form for making semi-rigid the aggre-` gate of mass of the articles enclosed. The corrugations stiften the package. The surrounding fabric functions as a tensioning web which tube in cooper-ation with the corrugated liner maintains a cylindric form of the package which l n is semi-rigid. No unsightly bulges or slumping exist.

An advantage of using open-mesh fabric is that air may circulate through the produce by way of the openings at its end. This also allows free drainage of moisture, particularly large amounts of it as are encountered when produce is packed with chipped ice which thaws during transportation.

When produce is packed with ice, the bulk shrinks after the ice melts. The `present invention is advantageous in this connection because the nal package maintains its general shape even with reduction in this bulk.

Produce even without icing has a tendency to shrink in transit, unless waxed or otherwise treated to prevent escape of inherent moisture. Another cause of shrinkage is shifting of the articles into positions wherein they are more compact than the positions they assumed when initially inserted in the package.

If it is desired to prevent -any contained moisture from wetting the liner I l, that may be done by waterproofing the liner with wax or some similar material.

Another advantage of the invention is that the character of the -contents may be observed throrugh the openings at the end of the package, thus serving as .a display package.

The axial positions ofthe corrugations I3 serve to stilfen the filled package against breaking of its cylindrc contour. At the same time these corrugations make the liner exible so that it may be readily contracted for insertion into the fabric container.

The radial naps or tongues 2l make a definite corner at the ends of the package. They vare useful for properly forming the ends of the package when produce of smaller size is enclosed. However, for larger articles such as for example, rutabaga, cabbage and the like their use is not so important and they may be eliminated.

. It is of course clear that any printing that is desired on the package may be pre-printed on the fabric.

" The cardboard and fabric materials used are.

much less expensive than baskets and crates and are easier to handle and transport to the point Where packaging occurs. In addition they avoid the use of the large quantities of wood which crates and baskets require.

It will be noted that the closure ties 5 and 1 need not necessarily be constituted by wovenin' draw strings but may be exteriorly applied tie wires or cords, not previously woven in.

In Figs. 8-11 is shown another and convenient means for carrying out the invention. In this case a continuous length of' open-mesh fabric 21 is drawn from a supply roll 29. This supply roll 29 is mounted beneath a platform 3l in which is an `opening 33 through which the length 21 is drawn. The opening 33 may be of any suitable form, such as circular or rectangular like a slit.

As indicated in Fig. 8, a suitable length 35 of the nat tubular fabric is withdrawn through the opening 33 and the rolled liner l I inserted, with the lowermost aps or tongues 2| inwardly directed. Then, as indicated in Fig. 9, produce is filled in'. Alter filling, the upper flaps 2l are turned inward and the end of the fabric is bunched and tied with a closure 31.

Finally, as indicated in Fig. 11, the package is tilted on one side and a second tied constriction andclosure 39 isy effected, after which a cut 4l effects removal of the package from the supply of material 21. The resulting package is similar to that shown in Fig. 5. It is to be understood that the supply of tubing 21 may be axially seamed, bias seamed, or even be of knitted ma.- terial of a character which will provide the desired open mesh. After completion of the operations shown in Fig. 11, more of the material 21 is drawn up through the opening 33 and the process repeated.

It will be observed that the opening 33 should be small enough so that in View of whatever bunching of material occurs therein, the produce will not fall down into the tubing 21 through the opening 33. If the opening is circular, it may be substantially larger than the produce because of the bunching action of the tubing therein.l `If it is rectangular, like a slot, then this bunching will not occur and the slot should have a width which is less than the minimum expected diameter of the articles which are being packaged.

It is to be understood that the constriction formed by the opening 33`below the liner in the form of the invention shown in Figs 8-10 acts as an initial partial closure to prevent the produce from escaping while filling it in, and this fact is to be noted in construing the appended claim.

p The invention has advantages over simply introducing the'produce into an open-mesh fabric bag. In the latter case the produce forms odd bulges' which expose the contents to damage and in addition such a package has very little in.

herent rigidity and slumps, thus allowing the articles of produce excessively to rub one another. By means of the present invention the corrugated liner acts as a contractible and e'xpansible tubular stilener, which, with the tension of the cover maintains a semi-rigid substantially smoothv cylindric form. This is all done without the introduction of expensive stilfening slats, hoops Vor the like.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained..

As many changes could bemade in the above method Without departing from the scope'of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

The method of forming a package` of produce e or the like comprising the steps of drawing a tubing sufficiently to prevent individual items 0f 5 iroduce from passing therethrough, inserting a liner into said tubing through the open end thereof, filling said liner with produce through said open end, forming portions of said tubing extending beyond the ends of the liner into closures, and cutting the lled package from said continuous supply at a point between the closure adjacent said constricting opening and said Supply.

AUGUST F. OTTINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,044,023 Colgate Nov. 12, 1912 1,436,748 Yancey Nov. 28, 1922 1,493,982 Hirschhorn May 13, 1924 1,526,816 Widmer Feb. 17, 1925 Number Number OTHER REFERENCES Photographic copy of roll of tubing for packag- 20 ing sausage, dated June 1936. 

